NJ Girls Soccer: Kate Schwindel of Livingston is the state Player of the Year

John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerKate Schwindel of Livingston is The Star-Ledger's state girls soccer Player of the Year for 2010.

Kevin Meder was so desperate to emphasize the dangers of Kate Schwindel to his Lenape squad that the coach made a spontaneous executive decision.

After his initial plan to have a player on his scout team assume the role of the Livingston striker failed to produce the desired effect, Meder took matters upon his own feet.

"We watched her strike balls from 30 yards out that were absolute rockets," Meder said of what he saw from Schwindel when he observed Livingston in the NJSIAA Group 4 state semifinals. "So, at one point during a practice, I took the pinnie and put it on to play the role of her. I wound up launching shots 30 yards wide or 30 yards over the top. We didn’t get much out of that.’’

What Meder discovered was that replicating Schwindel was practically impossible. There were just too many nuances that went into making the senior forward one of the most feared finishers in the annals of New Jersey girls soccer.

From her bursts of speed, to a powerful shot enhanced by its laser-sharp accuracy, to a pool of imagination on the ball that tangled up defenders, Schwindel not only possessed all the tools to be a dynamic scorer, but had them polished to the utmost degree.

Schwindel punctuated her unforgettable four-year run at Livingston, one highlighted by 118 career goals, with an exclamation point from both a team and individual standpoint.

After reaching the finals of the Essex County Tournament in two of her first three seasons, only to bow in the championship match, Livingston erased those disappointments by winning its first ECT crown since 1993. Schwindel put her stamp on the 2-1 overtime triumph against Montclair by scoring the golden goal.

The victory was part of a 13-game winning streak fashioned by Livingston (22-3) that included its first North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 title and a march into the state championship, where it bowed to No. 1 Lenape, 5-2.

Despite the loss, Schwindel, who is heading to West Virginia, marked the occasion by burying one of her patented missile finishes in the closing minutes; a fitting farewell for such a prolific scorer.

"It felt good to get that far," said Schwindel, who collected 40 goals and 20 assists this fall. "At the same time, it was emotional because we didn’t finish off the way we wanted to. It was still an incredible accomplishment."

The soft spoken Schwindel found her role as an exemplary leader more in sync with her quiet personality. Her work rate in the run of play became infectious among her younger, impressionable teammates, who followed her lead and reinforced the idea that the tradition she helped establish will continue.

A competitive streak, sharpened over time by backyard competitions with older brothers Justin and Ian, served Schwindel well against defenses crafted with the sole purpose of containing her, sometimes through rugged means.

"I had to be a role model and keep my composure," Schwindel said. "It was hard, but what good was I going to be to my team if I was out of a game?"